Chery names its first bakkie Grootman
Chery has named its first bakkie for South Africa Grootman, a name chosen by South Africans. The model is planned to make its local debut in the first quarter of 2027.
- Product News
- 2 October 2026
The Mazda brand has undergone many evolutions since it first started as a cork manufacturer in the 1920s, and the way Mazda South Africa (MSA) has evolved over decades is no different.
The past few years have seen a seismic shift in how companies operate and how the public interacts with their chosen brands. For this reason, Mazda is undergoing another evolution, which includes some brand repositioning and improved communication channels with its customers.
For Mazda South Africa, this includes a new location for its local headquarters. The new MSA head office is now at Hertford Office Park, Midrand.
According to Craig Roberts, MD of Mazda Southern Africa: “We saw an opportunity to move to a space that better reflects Mazda’s brand repositioning and which, at the same time, can accommodate the changes that have taken place in office and workplace environments.”
The new workplace is specifically designed to provide for an improved working environment for all Mazda SA team members from its convenient and central location, office design and available amenities.
Along with the move to new premises, MSA will also incorporate hybrid working models into its operations. “We realised that the traditional corporate office environment no longer met the requirements needed to be effective and no longer appealed to all employees.
“In today’s world of instant and immediate demands on operations, MSA knows that employee well-being and work-life balance are essential for employees to deliver on their work objectives,” Craig says.
In addition to the office move, Mazda South Africa is introducing a WhatsApp & Call-in number - 0861 370 134 - that will be a dedicated ‘open line’ for customers to contact MSA head office.
According to Craig: “Effective communication channels are the foundation for any brand to succeed, and our dedicated WhatsApp number is simply one part of Mazda’s ongoing efforts to simplify communication with our customers.”
South Africa’s new vehicle market recorded aggregate domestic sales of 61 645 units in September 2026, an increase of 12.7% compared with the 54 706 units sold during September 2025.
SA Auto Week 2026 is scheduled to take place in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, from 13 to 16 October, with the event marking five years of SA Auto Week.
South Africa’s domestic new-vehicle market strengthened in September, recording 61 645 sales, its highest monthly total of 2026. Sales increased by 3 747 vehicles, or 6.5%, from August’s originally reported total and were 12.7% higher than in September 2025.